Cosmology
Cosmology in Mandalay is divided into two separate sections; Material Cosmology & Planar Cosmology. Material cosmology refers to the planet Mandalay in relation to other celestial bodies in the material universe; other suns, planets, etc fall into this category, as well as the name and general location (in AUs) of Mandalay in relation to other relevant bodies. Planar Cosmology refers to Mandalay & its surrounding planes. These are divided into four other types: Upper Planes, where good outsiders dwell & good souls go after death, Lower Planes, where evil outsiders dwell and evil souls are sent after death, Elemental planes where the pure forces of magic & creation are tempered, and the transitive planes such as the Astral and Ethereal planes, which do nothing but overlap other planes at points (or entirely) to allow passage. Material Cosmology Relevant material bodies in relation to Mandalay are listed below in alphabetical order. *'Corvus' Corvus is the name of the sun around which Mandalay orbits. It is named loosely after an ancient tongue's word for Crow. The sun was named as such, legend has it, after a vaguely raven-shaped eclipse occurred in the ages before ages. Though very little literature persists from before the first age, this piece of lore has remained and it is from this that the name of the sun is derived. On Mandalay, though, it is still generally only referred to as "The Sun". The name Corvus is usually only applied by mages referring to it astrologically, or when children are named after it. *'Id System' The system of planets that rotate around Corvus is called the Id system, named after the silent id that dwells within all sentience. The system consists of twelve planets, four of which are habitable (three close to the sun, and the eleventh, which is sustained by magic.) *'Luntis' Luntis is the largest of Mandalay's three satellites. It is large, and in the sky shines a pale grey. It cycles exactly once every 30 days, or once a month. The moon did not always rotate so precisely, but surviving literature from the ages before ages seem to indicate that a mage of significant might taming the three moons. *'Mandalay' Mandalay is the third planet from its local sun, Corvus. It falls comfortably into Corvus' habitable zone, owing somewhat to Corvus' lower-than-average heat. Mandalay is notorious for being the battleground for massive, climactic struggles and near-apocalyptic scenarios. Ages have gone by with nothing but speculation as to the reason for Mandalay's repeated glances with global extinction, and only recently did it come to light that the entire planet actually served as a prison for the OverGod Kael'Karum. The OverGod's presence served as a conduit for the powers of Evil, which eventually led to the events of Psion Storm to play out. Mandalay is a lush planet, with a diverse climate, many regions, vibrant continents, and a massive array of unique flora and fauna, both sentient and primal. Magic is abundant on the world, moreso even than others of otherwise equal standing. This, too, is now attributed to the OverGod's presence, but none know for certain why magic is so prevalent. The highest peak on Mandalay, Kharbuzir Mountain, is 45,112 feet above sea level. The world is quite large, sitting at just over 31,000 miles in circumference. Most of the continents are between 3 to 5,000 miles in East-to-West length. For more information on Mandalay as a planet, see Geography. *'S'leth Sleth is the second-largest satellite, orbiting alongside Luntis & Trin. Sleth revolves once every week, or every 5 days. It is used to track the week. The moon did not always rotate so precisely, but surviving literature from the ages before ages seem to indicate that a mage of significant might taming the three moons. *'Takraet (Takratarkat)' Takraet (Natrathian real name is Takratarkat, an Anagram that reflects the world's cyclical nature) is a RingWorld. This is a constructed celestial body, built in ancient times by the Natrathians. It is a super-massive structure in space, orbiting the sun Hasargul. The structure known as Takraet occupies the entire habitable zone of Hasargul, literally circling the sun. No accurate or reliable measure of Takraet's diameter or total length exist, but it goes without saying that the structure is immeasurable massive by mortal standards and no doubt took centuries, if not millennia, to complete. Takraet possesses numerous types of climate and terrain which blend and mesh seamlessly into one another. Circling in a much tighter orbit around Hasargul sit multiple celestial blocks that orbit both faster and closer to the sun. These blocks function as shades, and as they spin they cast shadows upon the inside of Takraet; these shadows create precise patterns of night and day on all portions of Takraet. It is entirely possible to, during the Takraet nights, see distant illuminated portions of the Ringworld far in the cosmos. A mystical (And still as of yet unexplained) link persists between Takraet and Mandalay, despite the fact that these two planets are in entirely different star systems. The Cradle of the Ring, a desolate portion of Mandalay's northlands, contains a bizarre oasis of eldritch power, at the center of which sits an ancient two-way gate to Takraet. *'Trin' Trin is the smallest satellite for Mandalay, and rotates in a full revolution once every fifteen mandalay hours. The moon did not always rotate so precisely, but surviving literature from the ages before ages seem to indicate that a mage of significant might be taming the three moons. Planar Cosmology The planes of Mandalay are, for the most part, mirror images of their counterparts provided in the Pathfinder SRD, with some notable exceptions such as Karum. Inner Planes * Shadow Plane * Astral Plane * Ethereal Plane * Negative Energy Plane * Positive Energy Plane Outer Planes * Heaven (Lawful Good) * Nirvana (Neutral Good) * Elysium (Chaotic Good) * Purgatory (Lawful Neutral) * Mechanus (Lawful) * Monad (Neutral) * Limbo (Chaotic Neutral) * Hell (Lawful Evil) * Abaddon (Neutral Evil) * The Abyss (Chaotic Evil) Demi-Planes (notable) There are innumerable demi planes, oft stacked upon one another. These are just a list of the most frequently referenced. * Glacia, Land of Ice and Gifts * Hainus, Land of Tricks and Fear * Copius, Land of Harvest and Feasts * Empyrus, Realm of the Empereal Lords * The Vortex, Lair of Chronofreyus * Monadnar, the Mind of All * Zalephres, Realm of Sages Other Planes These planes exist either outside accepted cosmology, or attached to it artificially. The Far Realm (Chaos, Madness) Karum (Evil) Haris (Good)